Apparatus for treating clay



Oct. 15, 1929. J..c. BLACK APPARATUS FOR TREATING. CLAY original Filed'April 5. 1920 ATTORNEY Patented Dot." 15, v1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN C. BLACK, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CONTACT FILTRATION COMPANY, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CCR- PORATION OF DELAWARE Original application led April 5, 1920, Serial No. 371,399. Divided and v 1927. Serial No. 210,156.

April 5, 1920, Serial Number 371,399.

At the present time there is a process eX- tensively used for treating petroleum oils consisting in causing the oils to percolate through clay or fullers earth. The fullers earth, or

clay, mayfbe reclaimed by treatment with sulfuric or hydrochloric acid in combination with other steps.`

My invention relates to an apparatus for the treatment of clays to produce the decolorizing agent above referred to, which is to be used ,for the clarifying and decolorizing of petroleum oils by the process described in my co-pending application, Serial Number 371,399, of whlch this is a divisional part.

Some clays, such as the well-known fullers.

earth found in Florida, do not need an acid treatment to make them commercially profitable, as a filtering agent for oil, although the acid treatment as before stated, is sometimes used on the partially spent clay to more or less restore its filtering qualities.` However, there are other clays that show very little Ifiltering qualities, if'used as a natural filtering agent, that is, without chemical treatment; but in some cases, these same clays 'may be treatedso as to very materially improve their filtering qualites and even exceed the best natural clay, such as Florida earth.

This invention will be best understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, illustrating diagrammatically, means for carrying out4 the steps of the process in accordance with the apparatus of this invention. The drawing shows in a general way certain means lwhich may be employed by this apparatus,

but the invention is 1n no way limited to the means shown.

The figure shows the apparatusfor completely treatin the clay preliminary to its mixture with t e oil.

APPARATUS FOB TREATING y CLAY this application tiled August 2,

clay from the bin to a chute 5, delivering it ,to an acid treating rtank 6, the latter being preferably vlined with lead.

To render the clay more easily and thoroughly acted upon by the chemical reagents employed., it is subdivided as finely as possible. This may be accomplished by agitating the clay in Water, which is preferably :heated by the use of open steam. The mass is also agitated by the steam, making more thorough the action of subdivision. The agitation may be accelerated by blowing air through themass. To this 'vend a steam supply pipe 7 equipped with a suitable valve communicates with the tank 6 at its bottom, and

a similar air supply pipe 8 with a valve also comunicates with the bottom of' the tank.

The mass 4reaches a state approaching a colloidal condition. Sulphuric acid is 'then added. Hydrochloric acid may be used and' possibly other acids, but from a commercial standpoint sulphuric acid best serves the purose. I prefer to use from one quarter to one half pound of sulphuric acid per pound of clay. These proportions may be varied to suit conditions. A better quality of filtering' product may be obtained by the use of a greater quantity of acid than that above specified, but commercialconsiderations govern this, as the use of more acid reduces the yield of finished product. The optimum yield of finished clay should be obtained by the use of the minimum amount of acid consistent with the maximum yield of filtered oil. These factors have to be determined for each particular clay. The acid that I lprefer to use is ordinary 66 BaumeJ acid, althoughl weaker or stronger acid may be used without materially altering the resulting product. The acid is 'added to the clay in the tank while in a finely subdivided state. An acid blow case 9 serving as a source of acid supply communicates with the tank through a vpipe 10. Water being-present in the mass,

ing to cause evaporation, or by blowing hot supply tank to a mechanical lter 25 and is Yair through the mixture, or by the use of a delivered therefrom to a dr ing table 26. vacuum, or a -combination of these means. The drying table may consist of a hot plate The method I prefer is to brin the clay and and a reciprocating conveyer for moving the waterto a high temperature bythe use of clay across the top.l ADuring this operation '70 open steam, then to maintain as 'much heat the clay is dried to bone-dryness at a low heat as possible by using a steam acket and blownot sufiicient to cause decomposition. This ing the heated air through the acid and water point should not exceed around 300 degrees mixture. This step of the treatment is con-y Fahrenheit; an excellent result may be had tinued for several hours or until the acid by not exceeding 225o Fahrenheit or just 75 action is complete. It is then ready to be suflicient to cause evaporation of the free washed with water to remove the/sulphates Water. The clay as it passes from the table produced by the acidI action. These sulphates is -in the form of dry cakes or lumps. In consistprincipally of aluminum, magnesium, this form it is delivered to a dry clay bin 27,

, calcium, and other metals which may be presfrom which it is delivered by an elevator 28 80 ent in the clay. The action of the acid upon to a chute 29 leading to a storage bin 30. the clay is not well-known. It may be one-From the storage bin the clay passes to a pulof purification or it may be one due to some' verizer 31. In this pulverizer it is ground chemical changes in the aluminum or silica to as fine a state as practically possible. The

or of their combination, or it may alter the, pulverized clay is blown through a pipe 32 85 clay physically. Whatever the action is, the to a separator 33, which may be of the wellchange is a profound "one, as the clay has known cyclone type. The finished clay is taken on properties both physical and chemthen delivered to a storage bin 34, the latter ical that it did not previously have. Tlicbeing an air tight container, as the quality treatment which I employ comprises not of the clay will deteriorate by exposure to 90 merely the disintegration of some of the conthe air. l

' stituent parts and the dissolving of other The clay is now in condition to be used as parts of the clay, but is an action upon the a clarifying and decolorizing agent for clay, whereby the product as a whole is dif. mineral oils.

ferent from the raw clay. The treatment of What I claim is: i I 95 the clay may be aptly termed digestion.- 1. An apparatus for the production of a A. discharge pipe 12 leads from the bottom clarifying and decolorizing agent comprisof the tank 6 and has a number of branches ing, an acid treating tank, means forfintrocontrolled by valves for discharging the clay ducing solids in lump form into the acid into water washing tanks indicated by 13, treating tank, separate means for introducing 100 Hand 15. A Water line 16 has a discharge water and acid into the 'acid treating tank, pipe to supply water to each4 of the washing means for heating and agitating the contents tanks, and a branch 17 to supply water to the said acid treating tank, means for withaCid treating tank. Disposed in each 0f the drawing the contents from the acid treating Wash tanks are siphons" 18, 19 and 20, con-l into any one of a plurality of water wash 105 nected to a pipe'21 leading to a sewer or other tanks7 means for introducing Water nto'any point for wasting the wash water. one ofthe plurality of water wash tanks,

Water is first admitted to the acid treating means for agitatin and heating the contaiik through pipe' 17 i This dilutes the mass tents 0f any one 0 the water Wash tanks,

5 in the tank, Which, after the aCfiOn 0f the aCld Siphon means for withdrawing liquids 'from 110 has taken on a gelatinous appearance. The any one of 'the Water Wash tanks, means for dilution is sufficient to cause it to fiow and withdrawing the Contents from the water the water also serves to wash the clay. v Wash tanks into a receiver heated with steam,

The washing operation with Water iS C011 means for conveying the heated fiuid contents tinued inlthe washing tanks 13, 14 and 15, from the receiver into a filter provided With 115 ntll the Clay ls Practically free from tlle means for separating the major art of the sulphates. The wash water is extracted' 111 liquid from a solid,and' means or drying,

the apparatus illustrated by means of settling pulverizing and collecting Said Soni and decalltatlon. HOWGVGI, allyA Suitable 2. An apparatus for treating Clay com- 111651061 fOr Separating the wash water from prising, an acid treating tank lined with an 120 althe clay may be Used, Such 21S any 0f 'Elle Well acid resisting metal, and a conveyor means known methods of mechanical. filtration. for introducing clay'into the acid treating Aller the Clay is, thickened b Sttlmg, 1t. tank, separate means for introducing water i ls lll/ered l)y any of' the Well' UlOWn llltel" and acid into the acid treating tank, means y machines orlpresses. The thickened clay l1s for heating and agitating the Claywater, and.; -15

' conducted from the washtanks by a pipe acid contents inthe said acid treating tank,

I. 22 leading to a supply tank 23, through which means for withdrawing the contents from the passes a steam line 24 for the purpose Of acid treating tank into any one ofl a plurality 'l heating the mass, thereby accelerating the` of water wash tanks, means for introducing filtering action. The lclay passes from the water into any one of the water `wash tanks, 130l means for agitating and heating the contents of any one of the water wash tanks,'s1phon 'means for withdrawing supernatant liquid from any one of the wash tanks, means for withdrawing the contents from the water wash tank into a receiver provided with heating means, means for conveying the heated Huid contents :from the receiver through a filter provided with means for separating the major portion of liquid content from the solid content, and means for drying, pulverizing and collecting said solid content.

3. An apparatus for the manufacture of a clarifying and decolorizing agent, comprising, a lead' lined receptacle, means for introducing clay into .said receptacle, separate means for introducing water and acid into the receptacle, means for heating, agitating and digesting the clay, water and acid con-v tents in the receptacle, means for withdrawing. the contents from the receptacle into any one of a plurality of water wash tanks, means forl introducing water into any one of the Water wash tanks, means for agitating and heating the contents of any one of the water wash tanks, siphon means for withdrawing water from any one of the water wash tanks, means for withdrawing the contents'from the water wash tanks -into a receiver provided with heating means, means for conveying the heated iiuid contents from the receiver through a rotary filter provided with means for -separatin the major portion of the liquid contents rom the solid constituents, and

means for drying, pulverizing, and collecting said solid constituents.

4. An a paratus for treating clay, comprising, a ead lined acid treating tank, conveyor means-for introducin clay into the acid ltreating tank, means water into the acid treating tank, means for heating and agitating the clay and water in the acid treating tank, means for introducing acid into the acid treating tank, means for'.

commingling, heating and digesting the cla water and acid in the acid treating tank, means for withdrawing the contents from the acid treating tank into any one of a plurality of wash tanks, means for introducing water into any one of the plurality of water wash tanks, means for agitating and heating the contents of the water lwash tanks, means for withdrawing supernatant water content from the water wash tanks, means for 'withdrawing the contents from the washv tanks intol a receiver heated by means of a closed steam coil, means for conveying the heated contents from the receiver into a ilter provided with means for separating the major part of the water from the acid treated washed clay, and means for drying, pulveriziliig and collecting said acid treated washed c ay. v

In testimony whereof 1 aix msignature.

'JOHN C. LACK,

or introducing 

